I would say to this point in the decade our culture is pretty much holdover from the '00s, very similar to the early '90s which were indistinguishable from the '80s.  I think '10s culture is likely to kick into full swing in the next couple of years and the era of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, hipsters, and Obamamania will be left in the '00s where it belongs.

I would say to this point in the decade our culture is pretty much holdover from the '00s, very similar to the early '90s which were indistinguishable from the '80s.  I think '10s culture is likely to kick into full swing in the next couple of years and the era of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, hipsters, and Obamamania will be left in the '00s where it belongs.

I would say to this point in the decade our culture is pretty much holdover from the LATE '00s (the world LATE being important to prevent confusion). I think '10s culture will be more obvious in the next couple of years and the era of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, hipsters and Obamamania will remain as a LATE 00s/at least early 10s culture, that started after the '00s "party" was OVER in 2007!

I would say to this point in the decade our culture is pretty much holdover from the '00s, very similar to the early '90s which were indistinguishable from the '80s.  I think '10s culture is likely to kick into full swing in the next couple of years and the era of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, hipsters, and Obamamania will be left in the '00s where it belongs.


It has started  in late 2012 and in late 2011

The 60s neo music ( foster the ppl, Fun , Florence )
Protests  political figures being exposed ( occupy wallstreet )

It has started  in late 2012 and in late 2011

The 60s neo music ( foster the ppl, Fun , Florence )
Protests  political figures being exposed ( occupy wallstreet )


Occupy Wall St is irrelevant at this point.  When the movement first started there was thoughts that it might become a huge cultural revolution but that has not materialized.  It has really turned out to simply be an extension of the "Obamamania" of 2008.

Occupy Wall St is irrelevant at this point.  When the movement first started there was thoughts that it might become a huge cultural revolution but that has not materialized.  It has really turned out to simply be an extension of the "Obamamania" of 2008.


Here is the music landscape being shaped right now take a clear look.
Occupy wallstreet didnt stop though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zeETVOQ0FQ&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py_-3di1yx0

I would say to this point in the decade our culture is pretty much holdover from the LATE '00s (the world LATE being important to prevent confusion). I think '10s culture will be more obvious in the next couple of years and the era of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, hipsters and Obamamania will remain as a LATE 00s/at least early 10s culture, that started after the '00s "party" was OVER in 2007!


QUIT BLOWING SMOKE AND START POSTING THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE!

http://commonsensepoliticalthought.com/wp-content/Gore_blowing_smoke.jpg

Occupy Wall St is irrelevant at this point.  When the movement first started there was thoughts that it might become a huge cultural revolution but that has not materialized.  It has really turned out to simply be an extension of the "Obamamania" of 2008.


An extension to "Obamamania" of 2008? Are the people who think the LATE 00s represented the 00s in the core sense reading this? Something from 2008 has created an 'extension' that has played a part in at least the early 10s.

QUIT BLOWING SMOKE AND START POSTING THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE!

http://commonsensepoliticalthought.com/wp-content/Gore_blowing_smoke.jpg



UM, to quote a quote lol    The 00's party ended in early 2008 not  2007. Hence why radio stations play music from late 2008 to now .
The 2010s trends are coming in RIGHT NOW there is no debate lol. Whistledog i agree with you for once.

QUIT BLOWING SMOKE AND START POSTING THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE!

http://commonsensepoliticalthought.com/wp-content/Gore_blowing_smoke.jpg


Or better yet, you could quit posting that silly thing and enlighten on what isn't making sense?

An extension to "Obamamania" of 2008? Are the people who think the LATE 00s represented the 00s in the core sense reading this? Something from 2008 has created an 'extension' that has played a part in at least the early 10s.



The late 00s are not the core 00s.  The late 00s culture is  1 year and 4 months      Late 2008- 2009
how can a year and 4 months be a core  of a  10  year decade?????????????????????????

UM, to quote a quote lol    The 00's party ended in early 2008 not  2007. Hence why radio stations play music from late 2008 to now .
The 2010s trends are coming in RIGHT NOW there is no debate lol. Whistledog i agree with you for once.


2007/early 2008 blah blah blah. It still doesn't make mid-late 2008 or 2009 any more core 00s. Try again.

2007/early 2008 blah blah blah. It still doesn't make mid-late 2008 or 2009 any more core 00s. Try again.



Thats not what i am debating

I am saying      2005 2006 is the core 2000s not  2008 and 2009

The late 00s are not the core 00s.  The late 00s culture is  1 year and 4 months      Late 2008- 2009
how can a year and 4 months be a core  of a  10  year decade?????????????????????????


Try explaining that to the people who claim "Obamamania" and other 2008 stuff to be the zietgesit or however you spell the word of the 00s in history. And were Katy Perry and Lady Gaga only popular from September onwards?

Thats not what i am debating

I am saying      2005 2006 is the core 2000s not  2008 and 2009


Try telling that to those who claim "Obamamania" and other 2008 stuff to be the zeitgiest (I don't care if I'm spelling it wrong, so your wasting your time if you want to tell me) of the 00s. While I'm not sure about 2006 or even 2005 being core, it's much better than saying 2008 or 2009.

Try explaining that to the people who claim "Obamamania" and other 2008 stuff to be the zietgesit or however you spell the word of the 00s in history. And were Katy Perry and Lady Gaga only popular from September onwards?



Gaga was only popular from mid august 2008 till  mid 2011 when  she got the backlash .
Obama mania was in the last 2 months of 2008 .  Late 2008 and 2009 has nothing 2 do with the 2000s culturally other than being apart of the 2000s decade years.

But yeah 2010s Culture is happening now  like Right now.  Its like in stage 1.
When the star of one era (2008-2011) is fading then the next era has already begun  (mid 2010s)

Gaga was only popular from mid august 2008 till  mid 2011 when  she got the backlash .
Obama mania was in the last 2 months of 2008 .  Late 2008 and 2009 has nothing 2 do with the 2000s culturally other than being apart of the 2000s decade years.

But yeah 2010s Culture is happening now  like Right now.  Its like in stage 1.
When the star of one era (2008-2011) is fading then the next era has already begun  (mid 2010s)


I might put at least early 2012 in the early 10s category, but otherwise your comment is a lot more reasonable than many others on this thread.

I might put at least early 2012 in the early 10s category, but otherwise your comment is a lot more reasonable than many others on this thread.


But yeah the 2010s seem alot better ( culturally/not including economy  ) than the mid 2010s.  I will debate anyone that trys to debate me lol.  But the mid 2010s has not developed yet  its gonna take awhile    the  first stage is here though.

I would say to this point in the decade our culture is pretty much holdover from the '00s, very similar to the early '90s which were indistinguishable from the '80s.  I think '10s culture is likely to kick into full swing in the next couple of years and the era of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, hipsters, and Obamamania will be left in the '00s where it belongs.


I would say this decade will be the decade of those singers.

I would say this decade will be the decade of those singers.


I agree. I'm not going to deny that we are so far only 3 years in (just about) and that Lady Gaga's best days may be all behind her, but Katy Perry has a potential to last through this era and don't forget that Teenage Dream album from 2010 had 8 singles including 6 #1 singles in the US with the other two singles making #2 and #3. That pretty much makes it like the Katy Perry equivalent of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Katy Perry is a 10s artist and Lady Gaga at this point is pretty split being the LATE 00s and the early 10s, but if she can get some momentum back, she may very well slide to the 10s like Katy Perry.

I agree. I'm not going to deny that we are so far only 3 years in (just about) and that Lady Gaga's best days may be all behind her, but Katy Perry has a potential to last through this era and don't forget that Teenage Dream album from 2010 had 8 singles including 6 #1 singles in the US with the other two singles making #2 and #3. That pretty much makes it like the Katy Perry equivalent of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Katy Perry is a 10s artist and Lady Gaga at this point is pretty split being the LATE 00s and the early 10s, but if she can get some momentum back, she may very well slide to the 10s like Katy Perry.


Gagas peak is over. I think One Direction Lana Del Rey & Kendrick Lamar will be the ppl that replace the core 2000s  mainstays

Though it's only 2013, I think there are good reasons to believe that we are currently in a new era fundamentally different from the nineties and two thousands.
There's three things to watch for when trying to figure out if something fundamental in society has changed. The first would be a demographic shift, which has happened. Starting in late 2010, the oldest Baby Boomers turned 65, the age traditionally heralding the beginning of old age, at least in the United States. This is a huge change as it represents the slow decline of a very large generation's very large influence, spanning all the way back to the year 1963 when the same people who were turning 65 in 2010 were turning 18.
Another change has happened with Generation Y. If Generation Y is defined, as it increasingly is, as spanning from 1979 to 1992, the early 2010s is the beginning of Gen Yers in their 30s, and it's also the first time that the entire generation has been composed of adults. I think this makes it safe to say that the 2010s belong at least in part to the successer Z generation (1993-2009) born within the Generation Y cultural epoch.
Throughout the nineties and two thousands, Baby Boomers were the older adult generation and Gen Yers were the young generation. Now, Baby Boomers are the senior generation, Gen Xers are the older adult generation, Gen Yers are the younger adult generation and Gen Zers are the young generation.
The second thing that signifies an era shift is a technology that is so pervasive and such a step up that it creates a generation gap. In the mid nineties this technology was the personal computer and the early Internet. Gen Yers, even the earliest born in 1979 more or less grew up with computers in many cases, or if not at least got them before they were well into adulthood. This separates them from Generation X.

Generation Z is separated from Generation Y because of social networking and the rise of smartphones with apps and worthwhile high-speed Internet access. Generation Z also has no memory of analog 1980s and '90s technology such as VHS tapes, audiocassettes and dial-up modems. Even a music CD might be 'old' technology to a Gen Zer!
The third and last thing that signifies a generation gap is a change in trendlines. Make no mistake about it - the entire two thousands more or less continued trendlines that began deep into the nineties.
One case in point would be the prevalance of gangsta rap, and hip hop in general. Though the nature of gangsta rap was more party-oriented in the two thousands compared to the original wave of the genre from NWA to the deaths of Tupac and Biggie Smalls, the rap of the late 2000s was still more or less rooted in the rap from as far back as 1992.
The early 2010s however have been the disappearance of rap from the charts. There were very few true hip hop hits from 2011 or 2012. Pitbull and PSY don't really count since while they do rap, their music is structurally and stylistically pure dance.
Despite this, rap is actually still fairly popular among teens, but every year we advance into the future, I suspect rap fans will become older and older a demographic. The 'age of hip hop' in its broadest definition could  sweep 1979 to the present, but I really think its primary days lasted roughly from 1993 to 2009 and have since drawn to a close.

Though it's only 2013, I think there are good reasons to believe that we are currently in a new era fundamentally different from the nineties and two thousands.
There's three things to watch for when trying to figure out if something fundamental in society has changed. The first would be a demographic shift, which has happened. Starting in late 2010, the oldest Baby Boomers turned 65, the age traditionally heralding the beginning of old age, at least in the United States. This is a huge change as it represents the slow decline of a very large generation's very large influence, spanning all the way back to the year 1963 when the same people who were turning 65 in 2010 were turning 18.
Another change has happened with Generation Y. If Generation Y is defined, as it increasingly is, as spanning from 1979 to 1992, the early 2010s is the beginning of Gen Yers in their 30s, and it's also the first time that the entire generation has been composed of adults. I think this makes it safe to say that the 2010s belong at least in part to the successer Z generation (1993-2009) born within the Generation Y cultural epoch.
Throughout the nineties and two thousands, Baby Boomers were the older adult generation and Gen Yers were the young generation. Now, Baby Boomers are the senior generation, Gen Xers are the older adult generation, Gen Yers are the younger adult generation and Gen Zers are the young generation.
The second thing that signifies an era shift is a technology that is so pervasive and such a step up that it creates a generation gap. In the mid nineties this technology was the personal computer and the early Internet. Gen Yers, even the earliest born in 1979 more or less grew up with computers in many cases, or if not at least got them before they were well into adulthood. This separates them from Generation X.

Generation Z is separated from Generation Y because of social networking and the rise of smartphones with apps and worthwhile high-speed Internet access. Generation Z also has no memory of analog 1980s and '90s technology such as VHS tapes, audiocassettes and dial-up modems. Even a music CD might be 'old' technology to a Gen Zer!
The third and last thing that signifies a generation gap is a change in trendlines. Make no mistake about it - the entire two thousands more or less continued trendlines that began deep into the nineties.
One case in point would be the prevalance of gangsta rap, and hip hop in general. Though the nature of gangsta rap was more party-oriented in the two thousands compared to the original wave of the genre from NWA to the deaths of Tupac and Biggie Smalls, the rap of the late 2000s was still more or less rooted in the rap from as far back as 1992.
The early 2010s however have been the disappearance of rap from the charts. There were very few true hip hop hits from 2011 or 2012. Pitbull and PSY don't really count since while they do rap, their music is structurally and stylistically pure dance.
Despite this, rap is actually still fairly popular among teens, but every year we advance into the future, I suspect rap fans will become older and older a demographic. The 'age of hip hop' in its broadest definition could  sweep 1979 to the present, but I really think its primary days lasted roughly from 1993 to 2009 and have since drawn to a close.


Pretty good analysis, but your generational definitions are off.

Baby Boomers - born 1945-1964
Generation X - born 1964-1982
Millennials - born 1982-2000
Generation Z - born 2000-2020 (still being born)

People born in the 1980s and the 1990s are too similar to be classified as separate generations.  An '80s childhood did have its differences from a '90s one but were overall very similar and the children of both decades share similar values.

People born in the 1980s and the 1990s are too similar to be classified as separate generations.


If you think that I am in the same generation with somebody born in the mid/late 90's, go ahead. It's just WRONG.

1982-2000... Lol. 18 years. How can it be more superficial?

If I am drawing an 18-year-circle around my birth year, I must be in the same generation of somebody born in 1968 or 2004 respectively - that's just... hard to believe....

If you think that I am in the same generation with somebody born in the mid/late 90's, go ahead. It's just WRONG.

1982-2000... Lol. 18 years. How can it be more superficial?

If I am drawing an 18-year-circle around my birth year, I must be in the same generation of somebody born in 1968 or 2004 respectively.


It's not that simple.  Born in 1986, you are pure Gen Y. Somebody born between 1995 and 2005 are Gen Y/Z cuspers and somebody born between 1976 and 1984 are Gen X/Y cuspers.  Cuspers have qualities of both generations and it's not necessarily about numbers its about culture and values. Somebody born in 1986 actually has quite a bit in common with anybody born between probably 1984 and 1995.

It's not that simple.  Born in 1986, you are pure Gen Y. Somebody born between 1995 and 2005 are Gen Y/Z cuspers and somebody born between 1976 and 1984 are Gen X/Y cuspers.  Cuspers have qualities of both generations and it's not necessarily about numbers its about culture and values. Somebody born in 1986 actually has quite a bit in common with anybody born between probably 1984 and 1995.


So you're saying that someone born in '86 has more in common with someone born in 1995 than someone born in 1983? But this is only your personal claim, I think this generation stuff is pretty stupid tbh because everybody names some different range and the fact is nobody can be proven correct. If somebody's close in age they're always your generation Imo.

So you're saying that someone born in '86 has more in common with someone born in 1995 than someone born in 1983? But this is only your personal claim, I think this generation stuff is pretty stupid tbh because everybody names some different range and the fact is nobody can be proven correct. If somebody's close in age they're always your generation Imo.


That's exactly it and I agree with you.

Having more in common with somebody born in 1995... lol... I personally don't even know or regularly speak to somebody born that late. And since I don't really have contact to them, it speaks to itself that they are not part of my generation.

If somebody's close in age they're always your generation Imo.


Yeah! Maybe 1-2 years as a kid and up to 5 when you are older.

People born in the 1980s and the 1990s are too similar to be classified as separate generations.  An '80s childhood did have its differences from a '90s one but were overall very similar and the children of both decades share similar values.


Tell that to someone from China who was born anywhere between 1980-1999.  ;D Look up post-80s and post-90s on Google, it's very interesting. I do wonder how much of it is based on superstition though, I know Chinese people love astrology and in a way generational studies are kinda just glorified astrology. China has changed more in the past 33 years than the US has in 70 though. Supposedly, in China a person born in 1985 is a totally different generation even from someone born in 1990. I don't know how true it is but the Chinese seem to believe in it pretty strongly. I guess when you consider China was a different place even as recently as 2002 it kinda makes sense 5 years would make a huge difference.

Seriously though, I do think the early 90s born are more or less culturally identical to mid and late 80s born. Only differences might be from 88 onwards, more likely to be emo perhaps. But I'm increasingly starting to think people born from 1993 onward, today's teenagers might actually turn out to have more in common with 2000s babies than with 80s and early 90s babies. I was born in 1990 and I feel overall closer to mid-late 80s borns than I do to mid-late 90s borns, today's teenagers seem as different from me as someone born in 1979 or 1980 is, I think it's the fact many of them have zero memory of the 20th century and were more or less born with an ipod in their mouth.

I'm not a snob towards today's teenagers though, I have some younger friends and most of them are pretty cool, I don't think they're really any more tech obsessed than older people. My 24 year old brother born in 1988 is always texting and my sister born in 1994 doesn't even have a Facebook so I don't think you can always generalize, after all it was older people who created the technology so I think it's naive to think technology is the only thing that defines Generation Y and Generation Z.

I think the difference between being born in the 80s or even in 1991 and being born in say 1995 or 2002 is the fact the former could both remember a time before the Internet and American-driven globalization ruled the world and the latter two can't.

On the other hand though, born before 1985 is also different from being born from 1986-91 because their life narrative would have started in the 80s or at least in 1990 when 80s culture was still kind of strong.

On the other hand though, born before 1985 is also different from being born from 1986-91 because their life narrative would have started in the 80s or at least in 1990 when 80s culture was still kind of strong.


Make it 1988 and I'll agree with you. I remember late 80's culture - yeah, it was fading out, but it's not that I am fully unaware of it.

You're also putting me into the "1991-category". You have to consider that remembering 1991 (which I certainly do quite well) or being born in 1991 (who are probably only really aware of the mid/late 90's) is also quite different.

Make it 1988 and I'll agree with you. I remember late 80's culture - yeah, it was fading out, but it's not that I am fully unaware of it.

You're also putting me into the "1991-category". You have to consider that remembering 1991 (which I certainly do quite well) or being born in 1991 (who are probably only really aware of the mid/late 90's) is also quite different.


He just wants to put us in his group, even though we're different.  ;) ;D

He just wants to put us in his group, even though we're different.  ;) ;D


Probably  ::)  8)

Make it 1988 and I'll agree with you. I remember late 80's culture - yeah, it was fading out, but it's not that I am fully unaware of it.

You're also putting me into the "1991-category". You have to consider that remembering 1991 (which I certainly do quite well) or being born in 1991 (who are probably only really aware of the mid/late 90's) is also quite different.


I give you having a few years on someone born in 1989-90-91 but I still don't think it's like this huge gap. It's a broadly similar experience though being a teen in the very late 90s era and kinda remembering the end of the 80s culture does give 85-87 leverage over 89-91. Still, I feel closer to people born back as far as 85/86 than I do to today's teenagers, especially people under 18.

Make it 1988 and I'll agree with you. I remember late 80's culture - yeah, it was fading out, but it's not that I am fully unaware of it.

You're also putting me into the "1991-category". You have to consider that remembering 1991 (which I certainly do quite well) or being born in 1991 (who are probably only really aware of the mid/late 90's) is also quite different.


But yeah what I'm saying is I acknowledge born in 1986 gives someone a large head start on someone born in 1990 or 1991 ... just not so big that it would make sense to say 1990/91 have more in common with today's teenagers than with people born in the second half of the 80s. Unless you live in China maybe, since they have a different generational scheme there that's by-the-decade, because the changes in the past 33 years since they started to turn capitalist and initiated the One Child Policy are so enormous. Perhaps it's similar in Germany because of their liberalization after communism as well that they would see generations differently? I do know in Russia that after the Soviet Union collapsed their birthrates plummeted.

I think there's an overall commonality of experience among anyone born from about 1979 to 1992 sufficient enough you could call it a generation. A generation implies a fairly long time, I think a lot of people have this idea that a generation means people who are literally only within one or two years of your age but keep in mind the Baby Boomers were born over a period of nearly twenty years.

But yeah what I'm saying is I acknowledge born in 1986 gives someone a large head start on someone born in 1990 or 1991 ... just not so big that it would make sense to say 1990/91 have more in common with today's teenagers than with people born in the second half of the 80s.

1986 and 1991 are 5 years apart.  1991 and 1996 are 5 years apart.  You can't say for a fact who they have more/less in common with, when the age gap is the same...

1986 and 1991 are 5 years apart.  1991 and 1996 are 5 years apart.  You can't say for a fact who they have more/less in common with, when the age gap is the same...


Thing is, time doesn't change linearly, it changes in fits of punctuated equilibrium. But I will shut up since apparently this topic is politically incorrect here.

Who likes cheese?  :D

So you're saying that someone born in '86 has more in common with someone born in 1995 than someone born in 1983? But this is only your personal claim, I think this generation stuff is pretty stupid tbh because everybody names some different range and the fact is nobody can be proven correct. If somebody's close in age they're always your generation Imo.


I would say pretty much the same.  When we are talking generations, we are talking socio-economic trends and broader cultural fads.  There are differences between people born in the 80s and those born in the 90s, but there are more similarities than differences.  For instance, '00s teens used Myspace but '10s teens use Facebook.  '00s teens had iPods and flip phones while '10s teens have iPhones.  '00s teens had dial-up in their childhood years and '10s teens have always had broadband, but both grew up with the Internet.  '00s teens were emo while '10s teens and twentysomethings are all hipsters.  Very liberal politics and near universal support of Obama are also a defining trait of those born after 1982.  People born before that have memory of the Cold War and the Soviet Union and are mostly not as liberal as those who grew up after the fall of communism.  They also trust the government while those in Gen X who remember Nixon and Carter have distrust for the government.  Myself, born in 1985, can relate to somebody born in 1981 just as well as somebody born in 1993.  People prior to 1978 and later than 1996 there starts to be a noticeable gap however.  So what I am saying here is the difference between '00s and '10s trends are more an evolution on a similar theme and are not different enough to constitute it being a new generation.

Look up punctuated equilibrium. If every year and decade saw a perfectly equal amount of change, the concept of generations would have no merit, but history doesn't work like that. You have long periods of relative stagnation and then relatively short periods of rapid change.

This is why generations, while somewhat of a construct, exist to a certain extent. What makes a person Generation Y in my opinion is that they were old enough to witness the dot-com bubble and how it brought us fully into the Information Age. That's why I think there's a bigger difference between 1991-96 than between 1986-91, though both are pretty significant differences, even though they're both 5 years.

I used to think Generation Y was roughly 1982-1997 because I wanted to be in the middle of the generation but now I have been convinced by people on this message board that 1979-1992 is probably nearer the mark. I mean someone born in 1996 was only a tiny child during the dot-com bubble, they couldn't really understand how much it changed things as much as somebody my age or older would.

Another thing too - I notice that people born from 86, 87 up to 90, 91 tend to have similar tastes and attitudes to people my brother (88) and me (90)'s age. By the time you get to 92/93 though they seem more like my sister (94) and even little kids in their attitudes, they're more likely to enjoy things like Twilight and to have grown up watching Hannah Montana.

With that said, of course it's blurry around the edges. Someone born in '81 will relate more to someone born in '78 than to a '92er most likely.

Look up punctuated equilibrium. If every year and decade saw a perfectly equal amount of change, the concept of generations would have no merit, but history doesn't work like that. You have long periods of relative stagnation and then relatively short periods of rapid change.

Agree with this, but you really have to think of what events and trends mark these changes.  Usually they are marked by more than a passing fad, but events that actually change the course of the nation and world.  Events like the Vietnam War, the advent of the PC in the early 1980s, fall of the Soviet Union, the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks, and the 2008 economic collapse have the potential to shape generations. 


This is why generations, while somewhat of a construct, exist to a certain extent. What makes a person Generation Y in my opinion is that they were old enough to witness the dot-com bubble and how it brought us fully into the Information Age. That's why I think there's a bigger difference between 1991-96 than between 1986-91, though both are pretty significant differences, even though they're both 5 years.

I'm sorry I just don't see the huge difference between somebody born in 1986 and somebody born in 1991.  1996 is on the cusp of Generation Y/Z so there starts to be bigger differences in people born after 1996.  . 


I used to think Generation Y was roughly 1982-1997 because I wanted to be in the middle of the generation but now I have been convinced by people on this message board that 1979-1992 is probably nearer the mark. I mean someone born in 1996 was only a tiny child during the dot-com bubble, they couldn't really understand how much it changed things as much as somebody my age or older would.



Somebody born in 1979 would have real awareness of the Cold War, the Soviet Union, and communism.  They would have vivid memories of the Reagan years and a time with no Internet, not even dial-up.  That, in the large scheme of things, is FAR more significant than the transition from dial-up to broadband or from personal websites to social networking that sets people born the the mid and late '80s apart from those born in the early '90s.  That's why most socio-demographers start Generation Y in the early 1980s and end it in the late 1990s. 



Another thing too - I notice that people born from 86, 87 up to 90, 91 tend to have similar tastes and attitudes to people my brother (88) and me (90)'s age. By the time you get to 92/93 though they seem more like my sister (94) and even little kids in their attitudes, they're more likely to enjoy things like Twilight and to have grown up watching Hannah Montana.

With that said, of course it's blurry around the edges. Someone born in '81 will relate more to someone born in '78 than to a '92er most likely.


Most people born between the early 1980s and late 1990s have similar social attitudes.  Whether you were born in '84 and watched Pee Wee's Playhouse or '94 and watched Blue's Clues, there just isn't a huge generation gap there.

Somebody born in 1979 would have real awareness of the Cold War, the Soviet Union, and communism.  They would have vivid memories of the Reagan years and a time with no Internet, not even dial-up.  That, in the large scheme of things, is FAR more significant than the transition from dial-up to broadband or from personal websites to social networking that sets people born the the mid and late '80s apart from those born in the early '90s.  That's why most socio-demographers start Generation Y in the early 1980s and end it in the late 1990s. 


Hmmmm. Good points. I partially agree, but some thoughts: People born in 1979 are definitely somewhat different from later Y for those reasons. I mean like I said a generation is a bell curve, with the traits attributed to it peaking in the middle. Still though, if you were born in 1979 the Internet was mainstream by your later teens. You could have hypothetically been IMing with your friends from high school all day. On the other side of things, the Internet didn't really become this all-pervasive cultural force until about the end of 2005, when YouTube started getting big and the Net had been mainstream for a full 10 years. This was about the time I remember when it started being a given to own a cell phone and when it became expected hotels and vacation condos had Internet connections. Going on a vacation was still quite an adventure up to about halfway through the 00's. In that sense anyone born up to about 1992 spent their entire pre-teen years during the era when we weren't quite yet a global village.

As for the Cold War, it was becoming somewhat of a non-issue by 1985 anyway, the economies of the Eastern Bloc were already starting their transition towards capitalism and consumerism. A 1979er wouldn't truly have known the fear of the Cold War that lasted from the 50s to early 80s. By 1985 the nuclear threat was more or less as low as it is now. With that said though, the fall of Berlin Wall was totally surprise. I think all the way up to November 1989, people would have thought you were crazy if you told them the Soviet Union wouldn't exist in the year 2000. It would be like saying today that you think there won't be a United States by 2025.

Hmmmm. Good points. I partially agree, but some thoughts: People born in 1979 are definitely somewhat different from later Y for those reasons. I mean like I said a generation is a bell curve, with the traits attributed to it peaking in the middle. Still though, if you were born in 1979 the Internet was mainstream by your later teens. You could have hypothetically been IMing with your friends from high school all day. On the other side of things, the Internet didn't really become this all-pervasive cultural force until about the end of 2005, when YouTube started getting big and the Net had been mainstream for a full 10 years. This was about the time I remember when it started being a given to own a cell phone and when it became expected hotels and vacation condos had Internet connections. Going on a vacation was still quite an adventure up to about halfway through the 00's. In that sense anyone born up to about 1992 spent their entire pre-teen years during the era when we weren't quite yet a global village.

As for the Cold War, it was becoming somewhat of a non-issue by 1985 anyway, the economies of the Eastern Bloc were already starting their transition towards capitalism and consumerism. A 1979er wouldn't truly have known the fear of the Cold War that lasted from the 50s to early 80s. By 1985 the nuclear threat was more or less as low as it is now. With that said though, the fall of Berlin Wall was totally surprise. I think all the way up to November 1989, people would have thought you were crazy if you told them the Soviet Union wouldn't exist in the year 2000. It would be like saying today that you think there won't be a United States by 2025.


Exactly. Of course there's going to be differences at the extremes. I think of Generation Y to be from some point in the late 70s or early 80s to 1992 but even if it we compared for example 1975 with 1989 or 1985 with 1999, there will differences. Because 14 years age gap is significant enough for one to remember a world event and for the other to not even be born yet. It's the middle that is important, hence the bell curve. I would say peak Generation Y would be about 1986, maybe give or take a year or two.

This is why generations, while somewhat of a construct, exist to a certain extent. What makes a person Generation Y in my opinion is that they were old enough to witness the dot-com bubble and how it brought us fully into the Information Age. That's why I think there's a bigger difference between 1991-96 than between 1986-91, though both are pretty significant differences, even though they're both 5 years.


I'll agree with that.  If I had to define gen X/Y/Z, I would say gen X grew up before the Information Age (for the most part), gen Y was growing up during the transition (the dot-com boom), and gen Z is now growing up after it.

I'll agree with that.  If I had to define gen X/Y/Z, I would say gen X grew up before the dot-com boom, gen Y grew up during that transition, and gen Z grew up after it.


Sounds about right.

I'll agree with that.  If I had to define gen X/Y/Z, I would say gen X grew up before the Information Age (for the most part), gen Y was growing up during the transition (the dot-com boom), and gen Z is now growing up after it.


Yes, that sounds about right. :)

I think generations are a little bit like racial categories, unfortunately even up to the point of which they cause offense. For example, virtually everyone would consider your average Swedish person white and your average Sudanese person black, but what about an Egyptian? You'd have different opinions as to what race they seemed like, and you'd have people questioning if race is even a valid way of looking at things at all. Someone around the cusp of a generation is like the Egyptian in that example.

I think that this whole generational debate going on for - basically, forever - has been put WAYY out of perspective. Think about it: you're arguing over the differences and similarities between people born in the 80s and people born in the 90s. It's essentially arguing over the different viewpoints between teenagers and young adults. Of course the differences are going to seem big. But once everyone from those decades has since became an adult, you'll likely find the fundamental attitudes and viewpoints to be largely the same. In fact, if you really look at the grand scheme of things, as in over the course of Anglo-Saxon history, you can probably only identify 10 major generations in America from 1600-2000, each one about 40 years in length, the current one stretching from 1960-2000. As different as the people born in 1960 may seem from those born in 2000, you have to realize that that era covering most of the late 20th century really just ended, and I'm sure that 50 years from now, people who lived through this era at the turn of the century, now old, will recognize that they really were a part of the same overall generational cohort.

I think that this whole generational debate going on for - basically, forever - has been put WAYY out of perspective. Think about it: you're arguing over the differences and similarities between people born in the 80s and people born in the 90s. It's essentially arguing over the different viewpoints between teenagers and young adults. Of course the differences are going to seem big. But once everyone from those decades has since became an adult, you'll likely find the fundamental attitudes and viewpoints to be largely the same. In fact, if you really look at the grand scheme of things, as in over the course of Anglo-Saxon history, you can probably only identify 10 major generations in America from 1600-2000, each one about 40 years in length, the current one stretching from 1960-2000. As different as the people born in 1960 may seem from those born in 2000, you have to realize that that era covering most of the late 20th century really just ended, and I'm sure that 50 years from now, people who lived through this era at the turn of the century, now old, will recognize that they really were a part of the same overall generational cohort.


40 years is way too long, the average gap between a child and their parent is roughly 30 years. In fact the gap between my mother and I in age is only 27 years and I definitely consider her a completely different generation (tail-end Baby Boomer to be precise).

I think Generation Y now would include anyone between age 20 and 34 and Generation Z anyone from about 7 to 19 years old. Of course, people born from 1991-95 would be transitional, some of them having more Y-like traits and others more Z-like traits, based on their memory, how old their siblings are, their tastes, etc.

40 years is way too long, the average gap between a child and their parent is roughly 30 years. In fact the gap between my mother and I in age is only 27 years and I definitely consider her a completely different generation (tail-end Baby Boomer to be precise).

I think Generation Y now would include anyone between age 20 and 34 and Generation Z anyone from about 7 to 19 years old. Of course, people born from 1991-95 would be transitional, some of them having more Y-like traits and others more Z-like traits, based on their memory, how old their siblings are, their tastes, etc.


Why 1991-95 and not 1990-95? Is it because you were born in 1990?

Why 1991-95 and not 1990-95? Is it because you were born in 1990?


My logic is if you were born between 1991 and 1995 your first memories would have taken place during the Dot-com boom (1995-2000). Born in 1990, and your first memories would have been 1993/94, maybe a 1991 born could barely squeeze in but I'd say nobody would can remember before the Internet was popular could even remotely be considered the same generation as today's children.

But, that's all I will say on this as this kind of year-splitting discussion is widely frowned upon here.

40 years is way too long, the average gap between a child and their parent is roughly 30 years. In fact the gap between my mother and I in age is only 27 years and I definitely consider her a completely different generation (tail-end Baby Boomer to be precise).

I think Generation Y now would include anyone between age 20 and 34 and Generation Z anyone from about 7 to 19 years old. Of course, people born from 1991-95 would be transitional, some of them having more Y-like traits and others more Z-like traits, based on their memory, how old their siblings are, their tastes, etc.


Do you have any 19-year old friends? Besides the fact they may never have had a Myspace and had Facebook as their first social networking experience they aren't much different from today's 23 year olds. The younger you are the more difficult it is to see the broader picture but today's 19 year olds are still very much Generation Y.  The oldest members of Generation Z are currently in their pre-teens and early teens.

Do you have any 19-year old friends? Besides the fact they may never have had a Myspace and had Facebook as their first social networking experience they aren't much different from today's 23 year olds. The younger you are the more difficult it is to see the broader picture but today's 19 year olds are still very much Generation Y.  The oldest members of Generation Z are currently in their pre-teens and early teens.


I do actually, and I notice some small but real differences between them and my older friends born in the mid to late 80s. I would say they're not totally Gen Z but starting to head in that direction. Today's teenagers are probably transitional.

You'll know we've totally hit Gen Z when we encounter people who couldn't care less about rap, Britney or the 90's/00's alternative bands. People born in 1993 still seem pretty into that stuff but from that point on, I would say it tapers down steadily.

My logic is if you were born between 1991 and 1995 your first memories would have taken place during the Dot-com boom (1995-2000). Born in 1990, and your first memories would have been 1993/94, maybe a 1991 born could barely squeeze in but I'd say nobody would can remember before the Internet was popular could even remotely be considered the same generation as today's children.

But, that's all I will say on this as this kind of year-splitting discussion is widely frowned upon here.


Your first memories aren't that important. It's not like anyone was using the internet as a 3 year old. Someone born in 1990 had roughly the same childhood culture and same K-12 era culture as someone born in 1995.

I don't care much for the generational groupings, I think they're way too vague and subjective. But I do think that anyone who is within 5 or 6 years of you is apart of your generation.

Your first memories aren't that important. It's not like anyone was using the internet as a 3 year old. Someone born in 1990 had roughly the same childhood culture and same K-12 era culture as someone born in 1995.


Similar, but I wouldn't say roughly the same. 5 years is quite a bit, especially when you consider that as a small child, it feels like an eternity.

My logic is if you were born between 1991 and 1995 your first memories would have taken place during the Dot-com boom (1995-2000). Born in 1990, and your first memories would have been 1993/94, maybe a 1991 born could barely squeeze in but I'd say nobody would can remember before the Internet was popular could even remotely be considered the same generation as today's children.


I have to admit that also can't remember a time before the internet. We (not my family BTW) had 'Screen Text' over here in Germany in the early/mid 80's which was a very primitive form of the internet which was controlled via a keyboard and a TV set. It was very expensive, but it was definetly infomation technology and very internet-like:

http://rollmops.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/btx1.jpg%3Fw%3D480
http://gedankenstrich.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/bildschirmfoto-2011-04-07-um-1153522.jpg

I have to admit that also can't remember a time before the internet. We (not my family BTW) had 'Screen Text' over here in Germany in the early/mid 80's which was a very primitive form of the internet which was controlled via a keyboard and a TV set. It was very expensive, but it was definetly infomation technology and very internet-like:

http://rollmops.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/btx1.jpg%3Fw%3D480
http://gedankenstrich.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/bildschirmfoto-2011-04-07-um-1153522.jpg


Wow! That's really cool! The 80s actually was fairly high tech, the difference is the tech was so expensive and the graphics and speed weren't nearly as good as now (or even the 90s).

I have to admit that also can't remember a time before the internet. We (not my family BTW) had 'Screen Text' over here in Germany in the early/mid 80's which was a very primitive form of the internet which was controlled via a keyboard and a TV set. It was very expensive, but it was definetly infomation technology and very internet-like:

http://rollmops.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/btx1.jpg%3Fw%3D480



A buddy of mine had something like this in the mid to late 1980s.

I think it has, 2012 isn't full of r&b, hip hop and post-grunge and people don't really use the same kind of slang they did ten years ago. everything is so globalized and instantaneous now. The economic crisis has changed the consumer culture to a certain extent as well.

I would say it half started and half didn't lol just like early 90's and early 00's, It had a transitional feel, but it still showed the decade and what's to come. I think the 2010's is just like that and the culture did start in a lot of ways. I think it started all the way from 2008 and we will see today's feel for the rest of the decade with a few changes as years go by and noticeable changes during the later part just like the 00's. So even if there are some 00' leftovers, We are still well into 10's culture since 2008 imo.

Anything from 2005 and before feels pretty distant now, to be honest.

Anything from 2005 and before feels pretty distant now, to be honest.


Even 2007 feels weakly distant. I only think 2003 and before has a true distant feel to it though.

Anything from 2005 and before feels pretty distant now, to be honest.

I agree

I don't really remember anything before 1992 so I won't even go there.

1993-1995: Feels like a dream
1996-1999: Feels as old as a 20th century coffee break
2000-2003: Feels very distant
2004-2007: Feels a little distant

^I guess it depends on how old you are in what feels distant to you and where you are in life. I can tell you I had some very nice memories from the summer of 2011 that can be considered dated lol but I agree with you pop culturally speaking.

^I guess it depends on how old you are in what feels distant to you and where you are in life. I can tell you I had some very nice memories from the summer of 2011 that can be considered dated lol but I agree with you pop culturally speaking.


Yes, an early 2012 personal life experience can be considered dated to me. But not the same way as an experience from 2002 would be.

Could it be that its been the early 10's since '08, and all of the noughties elements are just a few rare holdovers.

I think it could be, since pop culture shifted so significantly in 2008-2009, that it is sort of like the how things from the late seventies are considered "eighties."

Could it be that its been the early 10's since '08, and all of the noughties elements are just a few rare holdovers.

I think it could be, since pop culture shifted so significantly in 2008-2009, that it is sort of like the how things from the late seventies are considered "eighties."

That's exactly what I think. U.S. Presidential election is one example. Then the recession which is carried over to this decade with different choices in spending money. Then music is totally different with autotune, electro, Indie and the different styles on the radio. The entire mindset of people seems very different since 2008. Even fashion/clothing is changing.

That's exactly what I think. U.S. Presidential election is one example. Then the recession which is carried over to this decade with different choices in spending money. Then music is totally different with autotune, electro, Indie and the different styles on the radio. The entire mindset of people seems very different since 2008. Even fashion/clothing is changing.


Absolutely. I'd consider George Bush being president during the US Invasion of Iraq in 2003 to be a better example of a political event during the '00s. Even if Obama doesn't win the election, I'll still see him as more of a '10s president than a '00s one despite the "first black president" Obama hype. Not to mention that Obama wasn't even in office yet on January 1st, 2009 so technically he spent less than a year actually on the job in the literal '00s. The recession is another good example. Economies looked quite rosy for the majority of the '00s and it's still bad now as we get close to 2013. Indeed, music from the literal late '00s to today has the same kind of atmosphere and feel to it, and it became mainstream what feels like overnight. Fashion/clothing are pretty good examples, and especially mindset.

I predict that the 2008+ music will be like how New Wave was popular in the late 70s and the 80s (except maybe late 80s).

that it is sort of like the how things from the late seventies are considered "eighties."


Since when was disco 'eighties'?

I also think that the late 70's new wave sound has not that much in common with the stuff that came out in the 80's.

Since when was disco 'eighties'?


NEW WAVE!

Since when was disco 'eighties'?

I also think that the late 70's new wave sound has not that much in common with the stuff that came out in the 80's.


I don't think late 80s and 90s grunge are too similar, but it's still grunge.

I don't think late 80s and 90s grunge are too similar, but it's still grunge.


Do you consider late 80's grunge 'nineties'? Probably NO, bcecause they aren't that similar.

That was the question here and that's all what I meant.

Do you consider late 80's grunge 'nineties'? Probably NO, bcecause they aren't that similar.

That was the question here and that's all what I meant.


I would consider late '80s grunge more like "nineties" music than early '80s music. For example, 1989 or even 1987 Soundgarden isn't too far off their 1991 material.

I think it went from feeling like the 90's to feeling like now over a pretty short time. As late as 2005 I remember thinking wow, the music and fashion still looks so 90s. Then, by 2008, I noticed suddenly everything was starting to be different. Personally I think it's two things, the advent of high speed Internet, and the economic changes.

Since when was disco 'eighties'?

I also think that the late 70's new wave sound has not that much in common with the stuff that came out in the 80's.


Video Killed the Radio Star is considered eighties, post-punk is considered eighties, synth-heavy disco is generally considered eighties even if it came out before 1980, Kraftwerk is eighties, the late 70's B-52's are considered eighties even though the early Talking Heads generally aren't etc

Video Killed the Radio Star is considered eighties, post-punk is considered eighties, synth-heavy disco is generally considered eighties even if it came out before 1980, Kraftwerk is eighties, the late 70's B-52's are considered eighties even though the early Talking Heads generally aren't etc


I guess you're sort of on to something. Joy Division were around from 1974-80 which makes them basically a 70s group, but they're classed as 80s because Love Will Tear Us Apart was a 1980 hit.

I think it went from feeling like the 90's to feeling like now over a pretty short time. As late as 2005 I remember thinking wow, the music and fashion still looks so 90s. Then, by 2008, I noticed suddenly everything was starting to be different. Personally I think it's two things, the advent of high speed Internet, and the economic changes.


The fashion might have been a lot like the 90s (in the early - mid '00s) but I'm not sure about music. For example, do you really think Chingy and Nelly have THAT much in common with Tupac and Biggie Smalls?

The fashion might have been a lot like the 90s (in the early - mid '00s) but I'm not sure about music. For example, do you really think Chingy and Nelly have THAT much in common with Tupac and Biggie Smalls?


No, but I could name others 90s rappers they're similar to.

That's exactly what I think. U.S. Presidential election is one example. Then the recession which is carried over to this decade with different choices in spending money. Then music is totally different with autotune, electro, Indie and the different styles on the radio. The entire mindset of people seems very different since 2008. Even fashion/clothing is changing.


Looks like Obama won. Another term will make Obama even more '10s on top of the reasons I've already explained.

Obama is 00's-10's transitional  ;D

Obama is 00's-10's transitional  ;D


For now he is, in a way because '08 and '09 are still part of the literal '00s. But if he's still president in 2016, he will be more of a '10s president (which he pretty much is more 10s now anyway). The president of the '00s culturally is George Bush.

Obama is 00's-10's transitional  ;D


So that means the period from '09 to '17 is just going to be a transitional period into the 2010s culturally, sounds like the actual 2010s to me.

So that means the period from '09 to '17 is just going to be a transitional period into the 2010s culturally, sounds like the actual 2010s to me.


Sorry, it was supposed to be a joke ;)

Sorry, it was supposed to be a joke ;)


Damn you got me!